The manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has released the Drive Pilot system with level 3 automation.
In Germany, Level 3 vehicles have been allowed since 2017 be driven on public roads. With the Mercedes Benz S-Class and the EQS model, there are now also corresponding models to buy. However, the prices are not without: For the S-Class you pay 5,000 euros and for the EQS model you also need the driving assistance package Plus, which costs 2,430 euros.
The system can then be used on certain sections of the motorway at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, i.e. in traffic jams or in slow-moving traffic. Then you can let the car take control, but you have to be prepared for the fact that you suddenly have to take control of the vehicle again. After activation, the car drives independently within the lane – it steers, it brakes and it accelerates. The car can also carry out an evasive maneuver itself.
The sensors include radar, lidar, cameras, ultrasound and moisture sensors, some of which are designed redundantly like the systems. The sensor data is also used for the HD maps, which are very precise and are therefore constantly updated. If the sensors malfunction, the human has to take over, but the car can still drive with the redundant systems. Ten seconds are allotted for the handover. If the human does not take the wheel, the car warns the traffic behind and slows down to a stop.
The company solved the problems with the AI with additional control mechanisms. Self-learning approaches were deliberately avoided for safety-relevant functions such as foot traffic detection. The approach is “Supervised Learning“, this controls what the AI is allowed to learn.
Initially, the Level 3 models from Mercedes-Benz will only be available in Germany, but by the end of the year the vehicles will also be launched in California and Nevada.